end of semester-itis

Its here.
totally done with all of my papers, just two more easy presentations to go.
YES, i shall be hitting up the clubs this weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!
:)

New Week

Gente,
I am feeling awesome today. I woke up early, even before my 8:30 alarm. I have a brazilian breakfast- a small coffee, butter on toast and a banana- and then went on a run from basically campo grande to farol da barra, or for my american friends, I ran about an hour. I believe it is because I finally finished one of my projects for this week. It can seem so daunting when you have all of these projects, and although your working on them, until you complete something, you feel like your getting no where. So one presentation down, one more to go, 3 more papers to write and then I am DONE with this semester!!!! (I gave up on actually reading the Jorge Armado book, it is just to difficult for my level of Portuguese, because it is written in colloquial early 20th century portuguese. To give yall an example, it would be a book that is on the AP Lit test. I saw the movie, and read a 1/4 of the book, so I am gonna spark note it and go from there. I really wanted to read the book correctly, but I just have not had enough time. Meanwhile, its only THREE weeks until I leave. I can not believe it. although I am loving Brazil, I cannot wait to go home and take a break. However I know I will be itching to come back by the end of my break there. Wow. Sorry guys, didnt mean to make this so long. Hopefully today I will finish 3 of my papers (all 3 of which I have already started, yay!) and do some more research for my other presentation.
Remember, nothing is too daunting if you break it up into pieces and put your mind to it! lol, I sound like a self-help book. but its true!

This popped up on my google home page today, I thought it was very fitting. :)

http://www.thedontquitpoem.com/

Soo its the end of the semester...

And everythings adding up. Lots of papers and presentations. But its super weird not being able to go to the school library or sit in my dorm with other studnets who are all in the same boat........

I am thankful for...

In lieu of eating til I am sick with my family, I am going to write down who I am thankful for. I find this may be easier working from today back to one year ago. Don´t feel like you have to read it all. It might get boring.

I am thankful for being able to live and study here in Brazil. Not eveyone has this opportunity. I am thankful that my host family is so amazing, and I cannot wait to live another 6 months with them.

I am thankful for old friends, always, but for new friends I have made here, esp. Brazilian friends. And my new best friend, Cristal (who cant speak english...but ya know its the thought that counts.) então vou dizer que menina, tô com muito sorte porque você é minha melhora amiga.

I am thankful for the CIEE staff, who have become my new family and friends here- Flavia, Matteus, Jeferson, Luize and yes even that argentine kid, Rodrigue (i know, killed the spelling. what can i say, its spanish.)

I am thankful that even through my some of my worst experiences here (getting mugged....) I can always look left or right and remember just how much I have.

I am thankful for my loving grandparents, parents, brothers (yes ALL 4 of you) and other relatives. No matter what, I can always look to yall, and know I will have someone to go to.

I am thankful for my health, and that God giving I shall be this healthy to the end of my days.

I am thankful for all of my (old) friends from columbus. It has been dificult living so far apart, but not even time or distance can make us forget how lucky were are to have each other.

I am thankful for all of my tulane/NOLA friends. Yall have only made me grow to love this incredible city even more.

I am thankful for all of our military service men who cannot be their families today. I only know a little bit of that feeling, but trust me, yall are prayed for and loved beyond all you believe. Yall have my utmost respect.

I am thankful for my Roots of Music kids, whom have no idea how inspired they, allison, derrick, or any of the other volunteers have inspired me.

Let me not forget the importants. Dear Lord, I am beyond grateful to have a roof over my head, clothes to wear, food to eat, and a bed to sleep in EVERY day of my life.

Mom and Dad, i don´t think I can express enough just what yall mean to me. You are two of the best parents any kid could have every asked for. I love yall very much, and am SO thankful and grateful. I miss yall every day of my life, and no matter where I go or do, I always shall.

there you have it. kinda a tearjerker at some points, at least it was for me. I LOVE YALL!!!
te amo e feliz dia de agradecimentos.

so that akward moment

when you realize someone you had a crush on in high school 4 years ago is now fat.
even more akward, when you dont even recognize them today.

OH. awesome

So i forget to tell this the other day, but I found the most baller store where everything is R$5!!!! yall thats about 3 US dollars. Bought me some brazilian style pants and a cute dress. Gonna go hit it back up and buy my babies (read, the Bennett Boys, aka my next door neighbors) some clothes. Next up...hit up the store where everything is R$10!!!

Oh yeah, im wearing that dress right now. Its purple. with a jacket that has short sleves (perfect for brazil!) and my purple shoes. I would like to point out that my total outfit cost me $7 US dollars! I guess with xmas coming up, and all the black friday sales, I am getting really excited over saving money. :)

sooo its the last day of my class

Its the last day of my history of brasilian dance class, and would you believe its 730 (class starts at 7, yes 7AM!!!) and I am still the only student here. OH brazil.
on the bright side, I only have to go to 2 more classes from now on. :)

interesting day...

I went to Pelô. Meet up with my Cristal and Jully there and we did some shopping. On our way there though, I passed two elderly american women totally lost. Although Cristal HATES it when I talk to foreigners, I stopped, and I am sure glad I did. These 60-something old women did not talk any portuguese and were heading in the wrong direction and a not so nice area of town. It turns out they are from the Catskills in New York, which is just a hop skip and a jump from where my mother grew up. I am also very glad I sent them in the direction I did, because as the 3 of us headed for Baixa dos Sapateiros, I got to see a man convulsing and the die. REALLY glad I sent those ladies in the right direction.

Oh yeah, had my presentation this morning, it went really well. Now only 2 more presentations and 2 more tests to go.....

In Salvador

So I you ever want to cross the street here in Bahia, (where people drive craizer than Boston, no lie) I have found that there are basically three ways to acomplish this.

Be really old and fragile
Have big boobs
Or run for your life between cars

How lucky am I not to have to run. :) lol

But no seriousally, I have to run across the street, and have almost been hit by a bus once. Like it hit me, but barely on my hand. Oh Brazil

my first and last grade....

So i have a presentation tomorrow in my history of dance class about modern dance in São Paulo. I don.t know anything about modern dance in english, let alone in portuguese. GRRRRRRRRRRRR
I am really starting to get tired of having to learn in another language. Plus I still have to tell my host mom that her cell phone was robbed. Seriousally I could use a thanksgiving break right about now. Looks like imma have to keep trucking until xmas though...or at least until classes are over.
Não acredito meu sorte. Só quero ficar com você. Gente, tô com saudades dos Estados Unidos. Para meus amigos, minha família, e meus vizinhos. Meu português é mil vezes melhor, mas ainda é díficil de falar e comunicar. Preciso feriado AGORA!!!!

real life brazil

talking to one of my friends on facebook. around 5 am.
this is what he told me,
"just walked in on my host mom peeing in the kitchen. it was kinda weird"

me-haha, you mean the bathroom in the kitchen?
i mean, i would hope shes not peeing IN the kitchen........

"no it was in the kitchen"

me-wtf...like, on the floor?!

"i went to the bathroom and after went to get a cup of water. when i walked in she said dont turn on the light im peeing in here bc you were in the bathroom. i think it was in the kitchen sink or the sink next to the washer. i didint see just bolted for my room"

SERIOUSALLY REALLY!!!!!

today...

well today was the last day of portuguese. one class down, 3 more to go! It was kinda sad, just because it means that my time this semester is soon coming to an end.
HOWEVER i was quickly amused by the ONE ´"Occupy Salvador" protester in the streets. Amazing how quickly culture spreads when it comes from the US........I know people look up the the US a lot, but sometimes I wonder if it is a good idea or bad idea.
I also ate a mango that I picked myself yesterday! I love mangos SOOO much, and eat so many of them here.
love in random ramblings, e sempre fique com Deus!

It's official

I have now joined the group of Americans here who have gotten their cell phone stolen/robbed/pickpocketed. AWESOME. So I have to go buy a new phone and sim card. Which means my cell phone number will get changed. Which means anyone who has my old number will not be able to reach me. Which also means I have none of their numbers, cause my phone is gone. So basically if I dont see people on a daily basis, or am not friends with them on facebook, im SOL.

To TOP is off, I met my future husband earlier in the same day. Really. And now im never going to see him again. BEYOND sad.
its cool though, i mean, i know one girl that has had her phone stolen 5 times. So really, im lucky to have made it this far.

everybody but me...

so it kinda sucks being able to see everyone talking about going home for thanksgiving. this is the first thanksgiving in my entire life that I will not spend with my family, and im not gonna lie, it does make me miss them. however, there are some many awesome things here that I never would have experienced had I not studied abroad

PS- I miss air conditioning. right about now. it is close to 30° C and im burning up.

missing...

im really missing some things right now. like american chinese food. I made some stir-fried rice last night.
and real napkins. the ones they have in brazil are like waxed paper.
and halloween. it doesnt exist here.
and waffle house. spent the morning making hashbrowns. however brazilians have never heard of fry pans. lets just say they didnt turn out too well.

by the way. my camera is dead. I dropped it in the sand on the copacabana beach during the gay pride parade. I am REALLY missing that.
amor e paz meus queridos

PS, do I even need to bring up football season?! Trying not to think about it makes the pain go away....sometimes.

frustrado

some of the culture differences are really getting in the way of friendships here with brazilians. it can be so frustrating because I do not mean to do anything offensive. then again, i do a lot of offensive stuff in the US that I dont realize........
but anyways. i know it is one of those things that comes with time, but it is still hard to deal with. help a sista out and do something to make me smile. :)

so i have...

...these little red dots all over my body. well, actually ant bites. See it seems like brazilian ants cant just leave me along while im sleeping, they gotta mess with me. I blame the past three weeks of rain. normally these guys would bunk outside and not in my bed. :(